Some tips on setup for certain look...

Ok, so I'm planning a shoot in the next few weeks (yes that means I'll have some really hot pics of a friend of mine up here for all to view).

She lives in a nice apartment with a big window. I want to use the window for obvious natural light reasons, but I want to make the light a little blown out. I really don't want to see anything outside the window, I just want to make the light look really bright.

I would also like to take pictures of her facing away from the window, but be able to see her face, not just a silhoette(sp?). Now, I don't have the use of actual photography lighting. For most of my shoots I just grab a mirror, or a house lamp or something. For black and white pics this usually works fine for me.

Do you guys have any suggestions? What apperture and shutter speed should I be using, keeping in mind that it's probably gonna be over cast, because it's bloody cold and snowing here most of the time now.

you could expose for her face (not in the window light) and use that exposure for the shots. Then the window would be blown out, as long as there were not many (if any) ambient lights in the room when you metered her face. If you want a more directional light on her face, you could just use a homemade reflector, like a bright white paper or foam board. If you want to buy one, small reflectors arent very expensive.

Put her close to the window facing opposite the light then turn her head back toward the light. Meter and expose for the highlight side of her face, and place a silver or white reflector on the shadow side of her so it will bounce some of the light back into the shadow side of her face and body. Shoot lots of images and turn her and the reflector while playing with the light. A stepladder may prove helpful.

Put her close to the window facing opposite the light then turn her head back toward the light. Meter and expose for the highlight side of her face, and place a silver or white reflector on the shadow side of her so it will bounce some of the light back into the shadow side of her face and body. Shoot lots of images and turn her and the reflector while playing with the light. A stepladder may prove helpful.

TH

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Haha...she's like 5'4" I think? And I'm 5'11". Or do you mean for her? haha